St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-02-06
AN AWFUL FATE.
A Broken Rail on Vermont Road
Causes a Frightful
Accident.
A Train OF Passenger Cars Thrown
Over a Bridge Into the
White River.
The Plunge Downward of Fifty Feet Fol-
lowed by the Burning of
the Wreck.
Many Who We're Not Killed Outright by
the Fall Quickly Roasted
to Death.
In Several Instances Nothing But
Ashes Left of the Unfortunate
Victims.
At Least Sixty People Thought to
Have Perished--T Thirty Nine
Bodies Recovered.
In Several Instances Nothing But
Ashes Left of the Unfortunate
Victims.
At Least Sixty People Thought to
Have Perished-- Thirty-Nfn
Bodies Recovered.

Bodies Recovered.
CONCORD, n. H., Feb. 5.-The express
train that left Boston at z o'clock last night
met with terrible accident near Wood
stock. on the Central Vermont railroad, at
about 2:3O o'clock this morning. The train
started from this city on time, but was de-
tanned at White River Junction, so it was
about an hour and half late when it left
there. 1t consisted of locomotive, bag
gage car, postal car. two passenger coaches
and two sleeping cars, and was running at
the usual rate of speed, when about 200
yards south of the end of the deck bridge,
near the old Windsor station. broken rail
was struck. The locomotive, baggage car
and postal car broke away from the rest
of the train, passing over the bridge i'll
safety. The rest of the train was thrown
from the rails, and continued on the road
bed until it came near the end of the
bridge, but there it ran over the abutment,
and all of the cars
FELL INTO THE WHITE RIVER,
some fifty fifty feet below. The gorge at
this point is frightful, and when the cars
went down there was terrible crash. AS
soon as possible the detached part of the
train was stopped and ran back to the scene
of the disaster. The screams of the injured
were heart rending Assistance also came
from the people living in the vicinity and
everything was done to rescue and relieve
the injured. Soon after help arrived it was
discovered that fire had started in the first
passenger coach and soon the entire train
was ablaZe. thus adding a new horror to the
already frightful catastrophe. Those pres
ent were powerless to stop the fire and de-
voted themselves entirely to attempt to res
cue those imprisoned in the wreck. The
rescuers met another and an unexpected OBJ
stacle in the heat, which had become so in
tense that they were obliged to
relinquish their efforts to save the
sufferers, and were compelled to
retreat to a place of safety for
themselves, and to become unwilling and
horror- stricken witnesses of the awful hola-
caust. In addition to these and to add to
the terrors and sufferings of the passen-
heroic rescuers were hindered thereby in
their work. No water could be obtained
with which to check or eXtinguish the
flames. The ice was several inches thick
on the river and there were no appliances
at hand to break it.
IRA A. CHASE,
of Bristol was at White River Junction
when the news of the disaster was re-
ceived. He went to the wreck on a special
train, His story of the accident is as fol-
lows:
The train left White River Junction late
and the accident is thought to have occurred
at ABOUT 2:I5 Il. IN. A broken rail was dis
covered some POO feet this side OF the bridge,
but whether this caused the accident or
q wheel first broke is in doubt. The locomo-
tive and baggage and mail cars crossed the
bridge in safety. Two passenger coaches, the
Boston sleeping car. Pilgrim and the Spring
field sleeper, st. Adams, went off the bridge
at the end of the right hand side. and appar-
ently turned bottom side up i'll the fall. Men
living near by stated that when they got to
the scene there was no fire except in the for
ward passenger car but the flames soon
spread to the other cars. and then to the
bridge. All were consumed. Twenty-six
persons, so far as known, were taken out
alive from the cars which were burned. Two
of these are understood to be Mr.. Wesson,
the pistol manufactures, of Springfield, and
Ed Brocklebanks, brakeman, but they died
soon after. The two passenger coaches were
well filled and every berth in the Boston
sleeping car was occupied and twelve i'll the
one from Springfield, making the total num-
ber of passengers in the wrecked cars about
eighty. This will probably make the number
of dead between fifty and sixty. The bridge
was between thirty and forty feet abov the
water which was covered with thick ice,
making it probable that death resulted from
crushing and burning, rather than from
drowning. Several were penned up in the
wreck who might have been rescued alive
but for the flames. Brakeman Parker, who
was on the forward end of the first passenger
car felt the jar and saved his life by jump
ing He quickly secured conveyance and
carried the news to White River junction.
An occupant of the Boston sleeper, whose
name could not be ascertained passed
through here this afternoon. He said the
car was full-every berth being occupied
The train was late at White River juno
tion and when it left it had the sleeper from
Springfield, besides a passenger car. He
thinks it must have been 2 o'clock in the
morning when he was awakened by the
oUIVERING OF THE CAR,
as if it were off the rails This movement
he noticed but short time when he be-
came conscious that the coach had gone
over the embankment of the bridge and was
sinking with frighttul rapidity. To add to
his CONSERVATION the car turned upside
down and when it struck the ice in the
river the top crushed in. He occupied the
lower berth and by almost superhnman
effort succeeded in eXtricating himself from
the wreck He was well acquainted with
the occupant of the upper berth, a Boston
gentleman, and as quicllIyas possible set him
self ot work to relieve his friend. He
worked with energy and by kind words
cheered him, but his eXertions proved I'M
successful and he was finally driven away
bv the flames and became an involuntary
witness of the horrible death Of his
companion, who was burned before
.SGs ewes. He saw quite number of per-
T. hs rescued. many with severe bruises and
BURNS. But few bodies had been taken out
when he left. At that time it was impos-
sible to ascertain the names or the number
of the victims He expressed the belief.
however. that not more than thirty persons
were killed. The railroad bridge took fire
from the wreck and was totally destroyed.
The accident is the most terrible OF any
that ever occurred in Northern New
England.